Equipping farmers to build resilient farms and communities.
Cows graze during the Lamoni grazing group gathering in May 2019 at Chad and Katie Hensley's Big Creek Farm. This photo is featured on the inside cover of our 2020 spring magazine.
#PracticalResilience
This page provides links to some resources we have found particularly useful, from reputable sources that are frequently updated with current information.

If you have suggestions for resources we should add, or you're unable to find something you need, please contact any of our PFI staff and we will do our best to assist you.
See who's sharing their stories of resilience
Martha McFarland of Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch in Fredericksburg had quite the crowd during bison feeding this week.

Cars lined the gravel road to get a close up view of the bison herd.

Martha was thankful for the social connection even though it was at a distance.
Tom and Maren Beard of Luna Valley Farm in Decorah offered their thanks to local restaurants this week.

Restaurant and school closures have made a big impact on small farms. A few restaurants started offering Luna Valley Farm products for curbside pick-up.
ON THE BLOG
What if a hog’s diet could drive a more diverse crop rotation that met more management goals for the farmer?

Long-time PFI member Tom Frantzen set out to answer this question by conducting a feeding trial with hybrid rye in his grow-finish pigs.
NEWS
In this trial, cooperators Sam Bennett, Tim Sieren and Jon Bakehouse compared cereal rye biomass, soybean stand counts and soybean yield between strips in which a rye cover crop was terminated near the date of planting soybean and strips in which rye termination was delayed until 16 to 52 days after planting.
From the spring magazine:
Martha McFarland of Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch in Fredericksburg is one of many trainer farms in PFI's Labor4Learning program. Martha is eager to hire a ranch assistant who is motivated to learn about operating the ranch, from managing cattle to meat marketing and more. 

"I am passionate about mentoring beginning farmers. I am excited to share opportunities and can offer on-farm experience in fencing, agritourism, grazing, bison and cattle management and laying water lines." - Martha McFarland
More PFI News
UPCOMING EVENTS
Please join us during a one-hour virtual meet-up to talk about the ongoing changes and challenges specific to your farms and markets due to COVID-19.

We’ll be holding these every Friday at 1 p.m. through May 8.

Our intention is to provide a place for producers to share their insights, struggles, ideas and strategies to manage current and anticipated changes related to consumer demand, market access, labor and enhanced measures for food safety.

April 24: Meet-Up - Strange Times
1 p.m. | Online

May 1: Meet-Up - Strange Times
1 p.m. | Online
May 8: Meet-Up - Strange Times
1 p.m. | Online
IN THE NEWS
Members in the News
Jack Boyer of Reinbeck was featured in Iowa Farmer Today: Shift in mindset adds more conservation acres

Mary Swander of Kalona was featured in The News: Rural Life Promoter: Poet Laureate Mary Swander opens Kalona office for new podcasting venture

Rick Juchems of Plainsfield was featured on the North Central Region Water Network blog: One Farmer’s Conversion to Cover Crops and How Science Helped

Donna Warhover of Mt. Vernon; Derek Roller, Liliona Roller and Molly Schintler, all of Mechanicsville; Ilsa DeWald of Iowa City; and Bonnie Riggan of Iowa City were featured in the Iowa City Press-Citizen: Local farmers big and small adjust to farming in the pandemic

Suzan Erem of West Branch was featured on Local 5 We Are Iowa: Iowa farmers impacted by COVID-19


Suzan Erem of West Branch wrote a guest column in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier: GUEST COLUMN: COVID-19 shows value of Iowa-grown food
PFI in the News
Practical Farmers of Iowa was mentioned in an article on Center for Rural Affairs' blog: Guide to applying for CSP during the time of coronavirus

PFI was mentioned in an article on Greater Des Moines Partnership's website: LSI's Global Greens Supports Iowa's Newest Farmers

Sarah Carlson, PFI strategic initiatives director, was quoted in an article on Conservation Finance Network: Farmers on the Frontlines of the Regenerative Agriculture Transition

PFI was mentioned in an article on Conservation Finance Network: Show Me the Money: Making a Downstream Market for Diverse Regenerative Crops
Have you been featured in the media? Tell us when and where to find a link to the article, and we'll feature you in a future issue of Practical News.